1264 U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 23 7 part s 



beyond the garden, the underbrush along a roadside, fence row, or 

 ravine. Fragmentary promise of spring, its ephemeral sweetness is 

 broken by a hoarse chuckle or an imperious cheenk! During March 

 the songs become more prolonged, with fewer of the grating notes, 

 and by April the chorus is at its height, a source of delight throughout 

 the migration period. 

 Mrs. Nice (1929) writes: 



Harris Sparrows have a wide repertoire in their winter home: 



1. A gentle Iseep, not often heard. 



2. A loud staccato tchip, sometimes given singly, sometimes several in succes- 

 sion. This is the commonest call note. At night-fall a flock of Harris Sparrows 

 will utter a great many of these notes, much like the bed-time hubbub of White- 

 throats, but less loud and less prolonged. * * * 



3. The querulous exclamation or "scold," a curious, grating, chuckling series, 

 unlike any other bird note with which I am acquainted. It does not seem to 

 indicate displeasure, but perhaps is conversational in nature. It is heard by 

 itself and also during winter interspersed freely with the beautiful notes of the 

 song. Nothing could be more incongruous than this mingling of serene beauty 

 and absurd grumblings. 



4. The song consists chiefly of clear minors of different pitches, besides which 

 there is an occasional low husky note repeated three or four times. * * * In the 

 following transcriptions of them h means high note; 1, low note, i, intermediate in 

 pitch.; kee, husky note. 



hhhhh 11 hhhh 1 11 hhhh 111 hh 11 11 hhhh 11 hhh hhh 111 hh 11 1 i hhh. 



hhhh 11 11 h 11 hhh 11 i hh hhhh 11 h 111 kee kee kee kee scold scold hh 11 ii hh i 1. 



There was a very slight interval between phrases. High notes were given 

 singly, in two's, three's, four's, and once five in succession. Low notes were 

 given singly and in two's and three's. 



The most beautiful song of a Harris Sparrow in my experience was heard 

 April 24, 1926 at 7 a.m., a mile from our grounds. I recorded a continuous song 

 for about eight minutes, not, however, getting the beginning or end. * * * In 

 this song there were only two pitches — high and low, and the husky note was 

 absent; the general scheme seemed to be two or three high notes and then two low, 

 but there were continual variations. There were never more than three high 

 notes together; and only once, more than two low notes in a phrase. * * * Noth- 

 ing could have been more perfect in its way. It was of exquisite sweetness, the 

 very spirit of serenity and peace. 



Aretas A. Saunders (corres.), who recorded five songs at Still- 

 water in 1955, states that "the notes of one song may be all on one 

 pitch, or varied somewhat, from one-half tone to one and one-half 

 tones. The pitch of songs varies from B5 to F6." (B in the second 

 highest octave of the piano, F in the highest octave). 



Swenk and Stevens (1929) who regard each phrase as a separate 

 song, describe as follows several songs set to music by Mrs. Jane 

 B. Swenk: "* * * one to five, usually two or three, whistled noted 

 * * * all on the same high pitch (usually in the second octave above 

 middle C) * * * followed after a very slight interval by one to four, 

 commonly two or three, usually natural notes at a different pitch, 



